How to Write a Holiday Closure Notice for Clients

Every December, clients get a flurry of “Season’s greetings, our office will be closed” emails. Most of them are missing at least one thing the client actually needs: the exact dates, what happens to work in progress, or who to call if something breaks on 28 December.

A holiday closure notice is a service message dressed up as a greeting. Get the service part right and the greeting can be one line.

Put The Dates In The First Sentence

Clients scan these messages for one thing: when can I not reach you? Give them both the last working day and the first day back, with weekdays, because “the 24th” means nothing without a calendar open.

Before:

As the holiday season approaches, we would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your continued partnership and support throughout the year. Our team will be taking a well-deserved break over the festive period and will be back refreshed in the new year.

After:

Our office will be closed from Thursday 24 December and will reopen on Monday 4 January. The last day to send us new requests for this year is Friday 18 December.

The second version can be read in three seconds and acted on. You can put the thank you at the end.

Say What Happens To Work In Progress

Clients with active projects need to know whether anything will slip. Be specific about the boundary:

• Deliverables due before the closure that are on track.
• Anything that will now be delivered in January, with the new date.
• Requests that arrive during the closure and when they will be answered.

If a deadline genuinely moves, tell the affected client directly rather than relying on the general notice. A short scope change message or a vendor-style delay note is more respectful than a line buried in a mass email.

Give An Emergency Route, Or Say There Is None

If you offer support over the break, say exactly how to reach it and what counts as an emergency. “For urgent issues affecting live systems, call 020 7946 0000. Other requests will be answered from 4 January.” If you offer no coverage, say that too. Ambiguity here produces the worst kind of client email: an angry one sent on 2 January about something nobody saw.

Remember that your clients may have different public holidays. A business in one country can be fully open on a day that is a holiday for you. A list such as the timeanddate holiday calendar is a quick way to check whether your closure dates overlap with a client’s working days.

Keep The Greeting Short And Neutral

One warm sentence is enough: “Thank you for working with us this year. We wish you a restful break and a good start to the new year.” Neutral wording works for clients of every background. If you want to send a more personal year-end note to your best clients, make it a separate message; a year-end thank you email to clients covers that.

Send It At The Right Time

Send the notice two to three weeks before the closure, so clients can plan their own requests. Then:

• Add the dates to your email signature for the last fortnight.
• Set an out of office message that repeats the dates and the emergency route.
• Update your website or support portal if clients usually look there.

A Context For Client Service Notices

A Wrivio Context for client notices could say:

Rewrite this as a short, professional client notice. First sentence: closure start and reopening dates with weekdays. Then state the last day for new requests, what happens to work in progress, and the emergency contact or that none is available. End with one neutral, warm sentence. Keep every date, phone number, email address, and project name exactly as written. Do not add services, guarantees, or contact options that are not in the draft.

Press Ctrl+Shift+Space, paste the draft, and check the diff for dates and numbers. A phone number with a single changed digit is a closure notice that sends clients nowhere.

Common Questions

When should I send a holiday closure notice to clients?

Two to three weeks before you close. That gives clients time to send last requests and plan around your absence, and leaves room for a short reminder a few days before.

What should a holiday closure email include?

The closing and reopening dates with weekdays, the last day for new requests, what happens to work in progress, an emergency contact or a clear statement that there is none, and one line of thanks.

Should I mention specific holidays like Christmas in a client notice?

Neutral phrasing such as “the holiday period” or “end of year break” works for clients of every background. Keep the focus on the dates.

Do I need a separate message for clients with active deadlines?

Yes. If a deliverable moves because of the closure, tell that client directly with the new date rather than relying on the general announcement.

Download Wrivio for Windows to turn a wordy seasonal email into a clear closure notice clients can act on.